Talking Tactics: Are Aston Villa's woes purely down to missing key players? is a post from: Just
Football

by Sam Thompson

It was clear during Aston Villa's heavy defeat to Manchester United last
weekend that the Midlands club are a side missing key players. Looking at Aston Villa's strongest
XI on paper, it is obvious that the three players in the spine of the side who have been
unavailable are sorely missed.

From 2-0 up and sleepwalking toward three points to 2-2 and then, amazingly, 4-2 this was not
the way any of us expected this match to play out. And if you did, you're a weird soul.
Nevertheless, it's a crucial win as we inch closer to the top four.

Today, Arsenal won 3-0 against Aston Villa at the Emirates. It was our seventh Premier League
win in a row and that gives us a three-point advantage over the Spuds, who could only draw with
Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier in the day. It was also the first time since 1997 that the
Gunners had two English goal scorers in the same game.

1. It was a great night for goals. There were some stunning efforts from Wayne Rooney, Adam
Johnson, Demba Ba and Paul Scharner can all take a bow for starters. 2. Adam Johnson must have
thought twice before firing in his long-range effort against Stoke though. He usually gets a
rollicking from Manchester City boss [.

An early pelanty goal from Robin van Persie, taking his tally to 34 goals in the calendar year,
and a late goal from Yossi Benayoun (from a header, no less) secured a nervous, underperforming,
but ultimately crucial midweek win at Villa Park today.

Liverpool scored from two early corners and strolled to victory against a poor, pretty much
attack-free Aston Villa side Preamble: Aston Villa must carry particularly good memories for
Liverpool fans. I'm not even a Liverpool fan, but I can remember half a dozen stonking moments
between these two clubs.

In an eventful day of Premier League action, Arsenal, Liverpool, and reigning champions
Manchester United all bounced back from their respective setbacks to win big while Newcastle United
suffered a shocking loss away to lowly Norwich.

The Gunners, who returned home from Greece after a 3-1 thumping at the hands of Olympiakos in
Tuesday night's meaningless Champions League encounter, overcame Everton 1-0 at the Emirates.

After seven home games without a victory, the atmosphere around Villa Park was a mixture of
tension and frustration as the home fans watched their side play out, what looked like, another
disappointing draw.

Ireland striker Robbie Keane has already become Aston Villa's in-game gaffer by shouting out pitch
instructions to his short-term colleagues.

Keane has ingratiated himself to team-mates and fans alike with his brilliant double in the 3-2
victory at Wolves last Weekend and it capped an amazing full Villa start for the 31-year-old Irish
captain who is currently on loan from LA Galaxy.

Coming only days after he was chastised by manager Alex McLeish for being photographed with a
hookah pipe and drink in hand, Stephen Ireland rediscovered his best midfield form to inspire the
Villans to a superb and surpirsing victory at Stamford Bridge.

In Thursday's Premier League game, Brad Friedel was in goal for Spurs in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Tottenham went up eight minutes in when Emmanuel Adebayor scored. Chelsea equalized in the 23rd. A
tough night on Wednesday for Clint Dempsey and Fulham with Manchester United beating them 5-0 at
Craven Cottage.

With Shay Given out for a month, Brad Guzan gets his first Premier League start, and it's also
emerged this week that the American is in contract discussions with his current deal set to expire
at the end of the season. Jermaine Jenas is out for the season, and with the club apparently on the
hook for his wages the less said about that the better.

One week, two alleged stamps. Both assailants bad-boys of their clubs' cities, further apart in
distance than footballing heritage and seemingly now closer yet in terms of notoriety. One incident
exponentially more temerarious than the other, and thus rightly so â€“ relatively speaking â€“, one
man went unpunished, and the other supplied with a four-match decapitation.

Time to lighten the mood. Given that Marc Albrighton notched the Premier League's 20,000th goal
last night, it seemed only right to put together a little video compendium of ten of theÂ best most
hideously ugly goals ever to have been scored over the course of these 19-and-a-half glorious
seasons.

Marc Albrighton and Stiliyan Petrov produced the vital goals to deliver Villa's first away win
of the season, but Ivan Klasnic was able to prevent Brad Guzan earning a clean sheet on his first
Premiership start.

It was a much improved performance during the first half, and fans crying out for a 4-4-2 system
will be quick to point out that was the case today with Marc Albrighton on the right and Charles
N'Zogbia on the left.

One of the bigger talking points has been the return of Ashley Young. James Milner showed class
by not celebrating at Eastlands recently, expect Ashley Young to do exactly the same today, but
preferably because he hasn't scored.

Either way, it's a tough game ahead and I suspect there will be a bigger interest in the manner
we McLeish approaches the game than any real expectation in getting much from it.